Store-service apparatus.



G. J. MILLER.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

BBNBWBD MAY 1, 1913.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1911. 1,085,752.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914u 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A AA M M COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH CD., WASHINGTON. n. C.

G. J. MILLER.. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS;

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 29, 1911. RENBWBD MAY l, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

1,085,752. e Z n l 6 /Z7Z8 IZ Q 4 3 ll 25 e lo", f 24 f' o 17' 8 18 25(8' gg I 7 Z e 1:7" e 17 Z0 4 H 21E ZZ,

'UTD STATES PATENT QFFCE@ CHARLES J. MILLER, or MINNEAPOLIS, MrNNEsoTA, AssiGNoI., BY MEsNE ASSIGN- MENTS, To THE LAMsoN coMrANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY;

STORE-SERVICE ArrARAT's.

Sicicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Een; 3, ieia.

Applieaion inea' Api-n "ce, 191i, 'serial No. 624,183. niiwea May i, 191e. serial No. #64net.

To jaZZ whom t may concem Be it knoivrthat I, CHARLES J. MLLER, of Minneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota, have invented certain nen7 and useful Improvements in Store-'Service Apparatus, of Which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved construction for the home station and the ebject of the invent-ion is tosiinplify and improve the means for propelling the ycarrier from the station and also t'O provide means for checking the carrier as it enters the Vstation by means of a cushion mechanism which ivill prevent damage t'o the carrier and its con# nectons.

A further object is to provide improved means for mounting the line vire' in the station and improved supports forthe cord by which the basket is raised 'andlowered A further Objectis to provide means to positively pretent the propulsion of the car# rier from the hoine station until the basket is attached to the cari-ier.

Other objects of the invention tvill appear from the Vfollowing detailed description.-

The invention consists Vgei'ie'rally in various constructions and combinations, all as heref ina'fter vdescribed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side vieiv of a store' service apparatus" embedyingV my inyention, Fig'. 2 is a detail sectional view, Fig. 3 is a plan v'ieiv, the supporting hanger being shown in section. v

Inthe dra-Wing, 2' represents a hanger se? cur'ed to the 'ceiling and 3 are parallel bar? i-els or cylinders connected b 'y a web which is provided With an upright, centrally a r`` ranged hub 5 that is adapted to receive the lon'er end o'f the hanger and is secured there# to by a set screw 6. A Web 7 alsoV Connectsthe barrels 3 and to thisl web the line Wire' 8 is secured, preferably midway between the bar'- rels and beneath the same. As shiowvn in Fig'. 2, I prefer to employ a tapered pin 8 for' securing the endl of the line Wire in its support The barrels are open at `each en 'd and brackets 9 and lOhavestuds slidable in the open' ends of said barrels and capable of rotation therein and are secured `by' set-- screws 11. These brackets carry pulleys 12 and 13. A cord 14. passes over the pulleys 12 and 13 and is attached to a basket raising I hook 15 by means of v'vhiclrthe basket 16 is 55 lrear en ds, the forward gnide being slidable on the' line v'vire 8 and the rear guide bn the rod 18, and `said plunger has a yielding buder' 21 at its forivard end in' position to engage a latch yoken22 that is pivoted at 23 on the carrier 17. This latch is in the form of a 51e-ke and has a rearwardly extending part Which engagesa hook 22 motinted on a stad thatissidabie in the web 7 and is yieldingly held against nioveinent in either direction by springs 24a1id 25. A vslnjing 2b nio-tinted n the carriernornially holds the latciyoke in position engage thehpek sa. Theta-fier igpfevidea with yyielding bufferl p 27 ivhich engages the end i, ,of the hook 22', and the pin28 limits the up;-

Swvingngnivment of the latch reke 21- One end of a propellingcord 28" isattached ,to the' fear and of the piange; and extends for'ivard over a prilley 29 and from thence diintvard o'ver apiilley 3Q Hifunted in av bracket 31 carried by arms 32 and beloW said pnlley the cord is p'royided with a pulley 33* hz'tv'iiig:aK fr'aine' provided vith a tube eX- tension 3a ivhich stirrunds the cord and prever-*its the pulley' from turning eter when the c rdis returned to' starting position. Ai hand grip r`35' is'mou'nted on a cord 35" be# lo'tv the pulley 33 Within rea-ch of the clerk. A roller 36` is' preferably pro'yided between the arms to serve as butler for the basket and load as it arrives at the station, thus stopping it properly and preventing strain on thecar and, Wire The upper ends of thearms 32 are pivotally connected with p ins 37 which 4have springs mounted thereon and are slidable in' ears 39 provided on'the barrels 3. Thearms 32 are pivoted atl32 on the web 7 and are adapted to oscil- Alate on' said pivots, and arms 40 have a common pivot with the arms 32 and project forwardly therefrom on each side of the path of the carrier in the path of the ascending basket, to be engaged thereby and yieldingly resist its upward movement. Springs 4:1 mounted on bolts 4t2 serve as cushions to resist upward movement of the arms 40, and to throw back the basket elevator hooks after the basket is latched to the car, so car can depart from the station. The cord 14 is also provided with a hand grip 43 for use in raising or lowering the basket. One end of the cord is utilized for handling the basket while the other end operates to propel the plunger and drive the carrier from the station.

The barrels 3 may be swung around in a horizontal plane to allow the line wire to be attached at any point around the circumference of the hanger and the forward movement of the plunger operating to simultaneously disengage the latch yoke from the hook 22 and force the carrier out of the station with the continued movement of the plunger.

As shown in Fig. 2, l prefer to provide a tilting lever device 17 pivoted at a point intermediate to its ends in the carrier 17 and normally adapted to swing into the path of the latch 22 and prevent it from being tripped by the movement of the plunger to project the carrier from the station before the basket has been hung thereon. Obviously, an inexperienced clerk or one in the hurry of waiting on a customer might pull the wrong cord and instead of raising the basket to the carrier might actuate the plunger to drive the carrier from the station. This would result in considerable annoyance and waste of time in getting the carrier back to the station. The lever 17 obviates this difficulty and positively prevents the release of the carrier and its propulsion from the station until the outer end of the lever has been raised by the engagement of the part 17 therewith, said part 17 forming the upper portion of one member of the locking device carried by the basket, which is inserted into the other member of the carrier only when the basket is raised for attachment to the carrier. It will be clear, therefore, that the lever 17 will remain in its locking position and the carrier cannot be discharged from the station until the basket is raised and the lever tripped.

In various ways the details of construc tion herein may be modified without deparb ing from the scope of my invention.

l cla-im as my invention l. The combination, with a hanger and a line wire supported thereon, of a carrier, a rod projecting rearwardly from said hanger, a plunger having its forward end slidably supported on said line wire and its rear end slidably supported on said rod, an operating cord attached to thc rear end of said plunger, the forward end of said plunger engaging said carrier to project it from the station.

2. The combination, with a clerks station, of a line wire and carrier, a latch yoke pivoted on said carrier, means at the clerks station to engage and lock said latch yoke and a propelling plunger operating to engage and trip said latch yoke and project said carrier from the station.

3. The combination, with a clerks station, of a line wire and carrier, an angular latch yoke pivoted on said carrier, a yieldingly mounted locking hook in the path of said latch yoke, means normally holding said hook in position to engage said latch yoke, said latch yoke having a depending arm and a reciprocating plunger operating to engage said arm, release said latch yoke and propel said carrier from the station.

4f. The combination, with a hanger, of barrels supported thereon and capable of rotary adjustment around said hanger, said barrels having a web between them, a line wire mounted in said web, a carrier for said line wire, brackets having studs slidable in said barrels and means for securing them therein, pulleys mounted on said brackets, cords passing over said pulleys, and a basket elevating hook carried by said cords, the adjustment of said brackets in said barrels allowing said hook and basket to be centered beneath said carrier.

5. The combination, with a hanger, of barrels mounted thereon, brackets having studs fitting within said barrels, pulleys carried by said brackets, a cord passing over said pulleys, a basket elevating and lowering hook attached to said cord, depending arms pivo-tally supported intermediate to their ends, a. roller buffer carried by said arms in the path of the basket, and means yieldingly resisting oscillation of said arms.

G. A store service carrier station comprising a hanger, barrels supported thereon and having a connecting web provided with a hub, means securing said hub to said hanger, a line wire secured to said web, the rotation of said hub about said hanger permitting the radiation of the line wire in any direction from said hanger, a carrier, brackets mounted in said barrels, pulleys mounted on said brackets, cords passing over said pulleys, and a basket engaging hook carried by said cords.

7. A store service carrier station comprising a hanger, barrels suspended thereon having a connecting web between them, pulleys supported by said barrels, a basket elevating cord and hook therefor, a line wire mounted in said web, a carrier for said line wire, a rod mounted in said web and projecting rearwardly therefrom, a plunger supported at one end on said rod and at its other end on said wire and operating to propel said carrier from the station.

8. A store service carrier station comprising a hanger, barrels supported thereon and having a web between them, a line wire 'attached t0 said web, depending arms pivoted on said web, spring pressed pins slidable in guides on said barrels and pivotally connected with said arms and yieldingly resisting oscillation thereof in one direction, a basket butler carried by said arms, and a basket raising and lowering device supported `by said barrels.

9. A store service carrier station comprising a hanger, barrels supported thereon and having a web between them, a line wire mounted in said web, a carrier for said line wire, a latch yoke pivoted on said carrier, a spring pressed stud slidable in said web between said barrels and having a locking latch adapted to engage and lock said yoke and carrier, and means for simultaneously disengaging said yoke from said hook and propelling said carrier from the station.

10. A store service carrier station comprising a hanger, parallel barrels suspended thereon, studs fitting within the forward ends of said barrels and slidable therein and means -for locking said studs in said barrels, pulleys carried by said studs, a cord passing over said p-ulleys, a basket engaging hook attached to said cord, a carrier, the adjustment of said studs in said barrels permitting the centering of said hook with respect to said carrier, and a propelling means for said carrier.

11. The combination, with a clerks station, of a line wire and carrier, a locking means for holding said carrier temporarily in said station, a propelling means for said carrier, a basket, and means'normally preventing the tripping of said locking means, said preventing means being actuated to release said locking means by the ascent of said basket into engagement with said carrier.

12. The combination, with a clerks station, of a line wire and carrier, a latch yoke pivoted on said carrier, means at the clerks station to engage and temporarily lock said latch yoke and carrier, a propelling means, and means temporarily preventing the tripping of said latch yoke until the basket is lifted into engagement with said carrier.

13. The combination, with a home station, of a line wire and carrie-r, a lever pivoted in said carrier, a basket, said basket and carrier having interlocking members, said lever being disposed in position to be actuated by the relative movement of said members, means for temporarily locking said carrier at the station, said lever normally preventing the release of said locking means when the basket is detached from said carrier and being actuated by the attachment of the basket to the carrier to release said locking means, and a carrier propelling device.

14. The combination, with a hanger, of barrels supported thereon and having an integral connection web between them, a line wire centered between said barrels and fitting within a socket in saidv web, and a tapered pin mounted in said web and eX- tending transversely of said wire and rcontacting therewith, for the purpose specified.

15. The combination, with a hanger, a line wire and carrier, of brackets arranged in the fron-t and rear of said hanger and :adjustable horizontally toward and from one another, pulleys mounted in said brackets, cords passing over said pulleys, a basket elevating hook carried by said cords, the horizontal adjustment of said brackets and pulleys allo-wing said hook to be centered beneath said carrier.

16. The combination, with a hanger, a line wire and carrier, of parallel horizontal members supported by said hanger and projecting in front and in the rear of the same, brackets having bearings in said members in front of and in the rear of said hanger, the brackets in front of said hanger being adjustable toward o-r from the brackets in the rear of said hanger, pulleys carried by said brackets, cords passing over said pulleys, a basket elevating hook attached to said cords, the adjustment of said brackets and pulleys allowing said hook to be centered beneath said carrier.

17. The combination, with a hanger, of parallel members having a connecting web between them, said web having a hub to receive said hanger and on which hanger said hub is rotatable to allow said members to be revolved around said hanger, a line wire secured to said web, a carrier for said wire, pulleys mounted on said members, a cord passing over said pulleys, and a basket hook attached to said cord.

18. The combination, with a station and a line Wire and carrier, of a latch yoke pivoted on said carrier, a locking latch adapted to engage said yoke and carrier when they enter the station, and a propelling plunger operating to engage and trip said latch to release said yoke and project said carrier from the station.

19. The combination, with a hanger, a line wire and carrier, of depending pivoted arms, a pulley carried by said arms, pulleys supported by said hanger, a cord passing over said pulleys and having a basket engaging hook, said arms depending into the path of the basket and means resisting oscillation of said arms.

Q0. The combination, with a hanger, of a line wire and carrier, a basket having a bail and means for interlocking with said carrier, an elevating cord having a hook to engage said bail, pivoted arms depending vertically in the path of said basket and operating as a buffer in the path of said basket entering a station.

21. The combination, With a hanger, of a line Wire and carrier therefor, a basket for said carrier and pivoted means depending vertically into the path of the basket entering the station and operating as a buer therefor.

22. The Combination with a station, of a line Wire and Carrier, a latch member on said carrier, means at the station to engage and lock said member and a propelling plunger operating to engage and trip said latch member and project said carrier from the station.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 24 day of April 1911.

CHARLES J. MILLER.

Witnesses:

H. F. POLLOGK, C. C. MCCANDLESS.

Copier of th patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente Wahington, D. C. 

